Scottish Executive

Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) continuing and (b) welfare powers of attorney have been submitted to the Public Guardian since the coming into force of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000; how many were rejected at first instance, and what the reasons were for these rejections, broken down by category.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  According to information held by the Office of the Public Guardian, the number of cases in each category as at 24 January 2002 are as follows:

  


Registered Power of Attorneys: 
  



Continuing 
  

2,843 
  



Welfare 
  

148 
  



Continuing & Welfare 
  

936 
  



Rejected at first instance: 
  



Continuing 
  

1,080 
  



Welfare 
  

72 
  



Continuing & Welfare 
  

558 
  



Reasons for rejection: 
  



No registration form or fee enclosed/form incomplete 
  

877 
  



Power of Attorney does not conform to requirements of Act 
  

295 
  



Registration prohibited by non occurrence of specified 
  event 
  

262 
  



Other (including Forms unsigned, missing names and dates, 
  errors in completion of relevant certificates etc) 
  

938 
  



  Some cases are rejected for more than one reason.

Air Services

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18204 by Lewis Macdonald on 24 October 2001, what response it has received to its formal request that Her Majesty’s Government impose a public service obligation on the Inverness to Gatwick route and implement measures that will secure the slots required to maintain the service.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is awaiting response from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions to the case for measures to protect access to Gatwick for the Inverness service.

Autism

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21123 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 January 2002, what bodies it has consulted in relation to the content of its training programme for panel members in respect of autistic spectrum disorder.

Cathy Jamieson: Children’s Panel Training Organisers, who are funded by the Scottish Executive to provide training to panel members, are responsible for the development of material used in training. They have drawn on expertise provided by child psychologists and psychiatrists which has been incorporated into training on communicating with children which features in panel member pre-service training.

  In-service training may involve workshops on specific issues. The National Autistic Society conducted such a workshop in October 2001 in Dundee.

Data Protection Act 1998

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21388 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, what difficulties would arise in terms of the potential identification of individuals and whether it will detail how the Data Protection Act 1998 would impact on, or prevent any collation of, information on students with disabilities.

Ms Wendy Alexander: In the Data Protection Act 1998, stricter conditions apply to the processing of sensitive data, which includes information relating to health. The Executive’s current policy is that figures should not be disclosed where the relevant population is less than or equal to five and greater than or equal to one, due to the potential for identification of individuals.

  The tables requested in the original question (S1W-21388) were at such a detailed level that disclosing a number of the figures would have breached this policy.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Digital Technology

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any impact on the economy in rural areas of the introduction of broadband services in the South of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.

Mr Andy Kerr: In rural areas, as elsewhere, the introduction of broadband can offer a fast reliable "always on" link to the internet that will streamline delivery of public services and benefit business.

Digital Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of companies are currently online as referred to at point 7.5 in its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Measuring levels of e-commerce uptake by Scottish businesses is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The results of the 2001 e-business benchmarking report, which includes figures for connectivity, can be found on:

  http://www.ecommerce-scotland.org/internationalbenchmarking/.

Digital Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has carried out to ensure broadband access for rural areas as referred to at point 7.9 in its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21288 16 January 2002.

E-Commerce

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it complied with the timetable for implementation of the EU directive on electronic commerce.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Implementation of the E-Commerce Directive was required before 17 January 2002. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is responsible for implementation generally in Great Britain. The DTI announced on 14 December 2001 its intention to publish and consult on draft implementing regulations early this year. The UK Government anticipates that implementation will take place during the summer. The Executive is examining whether any Scots law prevents the conclusion of contracts by electronic means. This process is under way in the context of the existing exercise to promulgate orders under section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 to authorise or facilitate electronic communications more generally.

E-Commerce

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it met the deadline for the implementation of the European Union’s e-commerce Directive (2000/31/EC) and, if it did not, by how much it missed the deadline and what the explanation was for the delay.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4608 on 7 February 2002.

E-Commerce

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action Scottish Enterprise has taken to take advantage of the substantial economic opportunity represented by the developing global market in educational software as referred to at point 6.9 of its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Scottish Development International, which is a joint venture between the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise offers a broad range of services to companies and organisations in this field to help them enter new markets and to further develop existing markets. This includes establishing focus groups to discuss issues and requirements for assistance as well as making full use of Scottish Development International’s network of offices overseas and the Commercial Departments of British Embassies around the world. In the delivery of these activities Scottish Development International works closely with Scottish Enterprise’s E-Business Group.

E-Commerce

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many small and medium-sized enterprises have used the Scottish Enterprise Business Gateway to seek advice on e-commerce issues since the service began.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The information requested is not held centrally.

E-Commerce

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive in what way Scottish Enterprise currently promotes e-business as referred to at point 7.7 in its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The information requested is not held centrally. Scottish Enterprise’s e-business strategy is set out in the updated version of Connecting Scotland , published in November 2001, which can be accessed on:

  http://www.ecommerce-scotland.org/.

Education

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote the arts and culture in schools.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Executive works closely with local authorities and the Scottish Art Council to promote all aspects of arts and culture in schools. We are in the final stages of planning a pilot programme of cultural co-ordinators and will make an announcement shortly.

Enterprise

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the prospects are for economic regeneration of the River Clyde.

Mr Jack McConnell: We believe there is great potential to develop the Clyde. We are working in partnership with key public and private stakeholders to consider in depth projects for economic growth.

  On Monday, Ms Wendy Alexander set out a blueprint for the long-term future of shipbuilding on the Clyde. This future will be secured by specialising in the high technology and quality end of the market.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken in response to the placing of Aberdeen-based textiles group Richards in receivership.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive and its agencies are monitoring the situation closely and stand ready to assist the company and its workforce as appropriate.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many discharge consents were issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in 2001 for chemicals used in the treatment of sea lice at salmon farms and whether levels of discharge of such chemicals increased in 2001 compared with 1999 and 2000.

Allan Wilson: We do not hold this information in the Scottish Executive. Consenting discharges is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. However, the need to use such treatments within their consented limits will vary from year to year in response to sea lice abundance.

Firearms

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in order to reduce the circulation of illegal guns, following the report in the Sunday Mail on 27 January 2002 that there was a marked increase in the number of gun-related crimes and deaths in 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: Firearms policy and legislation are reserved matters. However, the Scottish Executive is represented on the Firearms Consultative Committee, the independent statutory body established to keep under review the working of the provisions of the Firearms Acts and to make recommendations to the Home Secretary for improving their working.

  The latest published statistics for Scotland on gun-related crimes and deaths show a marked downward trend between 1991 and 2000. Final figures for 2001 in respect of crimes and offences recorded by the police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used will not be published until September 2002. It is difficult to comment substantively in advance of that but any increase would be deplored.

  As regards the circulation of illegal weapons, the police and other enforcement agencies continue to put significant effort into tackling this.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any action has been taken to monitor the introduction and movement of E.coli 0157 in restocked herds following the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, as recommended in its report Task Force on E.coli 0157: Final Report .

Ross Finnie: Consideration was given to monitoring E.coli 0157 in restocked herds in line with the task force's recommendations. However, because the restocking had already begun from multiple sources and because an appropriate project to research this issue was not produced which would have added to existing knowledge of the epidemiology of E.coli 0157, it was decided not to proceed with monitoring work. Research on E.coli 0157 is continuing.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answers to questions S1W-21381 and S1W-21382 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, whether any legal impediments exist which prevent it from directing further and higher education establishments on their grievance and appeals procedures and, if so, whether it will detail these impediments.

Ms Wendy Alexander: In respect of further education colleges, section 21 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 enables the Scottish ministers to give college boards of management directions of a general or specific character with regard to the discharge of their functions. This power must be exercised reasonably.

  Ministers have no corresponding powers to give such directions to the governing bodies of higher education institutions.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-21381 and S1W-21382 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, whether it could be held legally or financially liable for any malpractice resulting from grievance and appeals procedures at further and higher education establishments.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This would ultimately be a matter for the courts to establish.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-21381 and S1W-21382 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, whether it will detail any duty of care it has with regard to students attending further and higher education establishments.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Further and higher education establishments are legally autonomous bodies which carry their own liabilities regarding duties of care in respect of students.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-21381 and S1W-21382 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, on what date it advised further and higher education establishments to review their practices and procedures to ensure that they comply with the European Convention on Human Rights; whether it will place a copy of any such advice or instructions in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, and what action it has taken, or plans to take, to ensure that they undertake the review of practices and procedures in line with its advice.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Higher education institutions were issued with guidance in December 1999 advising them to review their practices and procedures to ensure that they comply with the convention. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18845).

  All further education colleges received similar guidance and advice in November 2000 in the form of a legal briefing in the November 2000 issue of "Broadcast", the journal of the Scottish Further Education Unit. Copies of the guidance are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18843).

  As autonomous bodies, further education colleges and higher education institutions are entirely responsible for deciding what action is necessary to ensure that their own procedures comply with any legal requirements.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21383 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on student complaints, grievances and academic appeals at further and higher education establishments is not held centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Ministers have no role in institutions’ complaints procedures. The institutions are autonomous, and are themselves responsible for such internal affairs.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21385 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education do not specifically distribute funds for welfare services and why the funding of welfare services is a matter for individual institutions.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The question why the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils do not specifically distribute funds for welfare services is one for the funding councils themselves. The further and higher education institutions are autonomous bodies.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21385 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why it does not earmark a particular portion of funding which it makes available to the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education for student welfare purposes and whether it will, from now, hypothecate monies for this purpose, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Funding for student welfare services is a matter for institutions themselves. Such services are funded from institutions’ income, which derives from a number of sources including funding from the funding councils. The Scottish Funding Councils decide how funds should be disbursed to institutions.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21385 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, what advice or instruction it has provided to (a) further and higher education institutions and (b) the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education regarding the funding of welfare services and whether it will place a copy of any such advice or instructions in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Ms Wendy Alexander: None.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21387 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why the information requested regarding state entrants to university and further education colleges is not held centrally in the format requested nor is available to further education colleges and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: In deciding which statistics to collect on further education college students, the Scottish Further Educational Funding Council balances need, burden, cost and reliability. The does, for instance, collect information on students' previous qualifications but not on whether they attended a state school.

  In higher education, the data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and published by the UK Funding Council, referred to in the previous answer, provides information on the proportion of entrants from state schools at each institution. The additional information requested in the earlier question is not deducible from the data collected from institutions, insofar as whether an entrant has come directly from a state school, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost for the other categories sought.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21388 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why the information on the number of full- and part-time students at universities and further education colleges designated as having a physical disability could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council only commenced collecting data on college students with disabilities from 2000-01 academic year. The collated figures should be available this spring.

  In higher education institutions, the Higher Education Statistics Agency collects information on disability, some of which was provided in the answer to question S1W-21388. It is the department's assessment that this information broken down further to the levels of course classification, and displayed as percentages for the last five years, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21388 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why the information on the number of full- and part-time students at further education colleges designated as having a physical disability is not held centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not directly collect statistics relating to further education. This is the responsibility of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, which has started to collect information on students with disabilities. The first data, for the academic year 2000-01, should be available this spring.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21389 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on students who failed to complete their courses is not held centrally in the format requested and is not available to further education colleges and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Publication of information on college student completion rates has been suspended because of concerns over the reliability of the source data. The Scottish Further Education Funding Council is currently developing a set of new performance indicators which will reflect, among other things, aspects of student achievement.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21390 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information regarding further and higher educational establishments without disabled access and egress is not held centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Further and higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are themselves responsible for the provision of appropriate facilities for students with special needs, in accordance with the relevant legislation. It would serve no useful purpose for the Scottish Executive to maintain details of the physical accessibility of college and university buildings, and there are no plans to do so.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21391 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information regarding lecture halls in university and further education college buildings without loop systems to assist students with hearing difficulties is not held centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Further and higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are themselves responsible for the provision of appropriate facilities for students with special needs in accordance with relevant legislation. It would serve no useful purpose for the Scottish Executive to maintain details of which college and university lecture halls have loop systems, and there are no plans to do so.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21393 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on the funding of universities and further education colleges is a matter for the Scottish Funding Councils for Higher and Further Education only and is not held centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The department is responsible for allocating funding to the funding councils on an annual basis, and details of these allocations are collated and published each year in the Annual Expenditure Report . This can be found on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/finance/aer-00.asp .

  It is properly the responsibility of the funding councils to allocate funds at the level of individual institutions. Consequently, it is the responsibility of the councils to collate and disseminate this information.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21394 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information regarding academic staffing is not collected in the format requested for further education colleges; what format the information is collected in for these establishments, and whether it will, from now, collate this information in this format centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not directly collect statistics relating to further education colleges. This is the responsibility of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, which already collects a range of academic staff data from further education colleges.

  Details are available on the following webpages:

  http://www.sfefc.ac.uk/content/sfefc/festats/guidnote/0001/scr/webdoc.html.

  http://www.sfefc.ac.uk/content/sfefc/festats/factsfig/9900/staffing/staffing.html.

  The Scottish Executive has no plans to collate centrally the information requested.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21394 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on the number of staff at higher education establishments who were required to take compulsory retirement is not collected and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Higher Education Statistics Agency does not collect information on the number of staff required to take compulsory retirement.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21394 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on the number of staff at higher education establishments who took early retirement and did not have their contracts renewed could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on when staff leave institutions, at what age and in many cases which institutions they have come from or gone to. However, the information is not provided by HESA in the format requested and it is the department's assessment that analysis at the level requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21395 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why a breakdown of the number of academic staff at further education colleges with a recognised teaching qualification is not held on a per college and subject category basis centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not directly collect statistics related to further education. This is the responsibility of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC). Following Scottish Executive policy guidance, SFEFC has set out in its Corporate Plan targets for increase in percentage of academic college staff with a recognised teaching qualification, and has made £2.75 million available to colleges this academic year for investment in staff development. The Scottish Executive looks to the council to monitor progress within the further education sector towards these targets.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21395 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on full-time and part-time academic staff in universities with recognised teaching qualifications is not collected and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) does not collect this data as there is no standard teaching qualification for academic staff in higher education institutions.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21396 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on teaching staff at further educational establishments with a physical disability is not held centrally and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not directly collect statistics relating to further education colleges. This is the responsibility of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC).

  The Scottish Executive has already asked SFEFC to support and ensure the promotion of equal opportunities in further education colleges, and looks to the council to take appropriate action to achieve this. The Scottish Executive has no plans to collate centrally information on college teaching staff with a physical disability.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21399 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on how many students applied for full financial support in each of the past five years cannot be provided in the format requested and whether it will, from now, collate this information, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The answer given to question S1W-21399 assumed that "full financial support" should be taken to mean the maximum amount to which any particular individual was entitled.

  The answer explained that the full support to which any student is entitled will depend upon personal circumstances and family income. Applications for support are based on self-declaration of these details by the student or their parents.

  At present, students are only required to provide the information essential for those elements of support for which they choose to apply. Information on the full financial support available to each individual student could, therefore, only be obtained by requiring all applicants to provide details beyond those required for their particular application, including details of income even when the application is for non-means tested elements of support alone, and to confirm whether or not they meet the eligibility criteria for any of the supplementary grants, even when they choose not to apply for these. We have no plans to ask applicants to provide this additional information.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21401 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why the more detailed information on the number of students from university and further education college going into employment within an industry directly associated with their specific area of study could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects information on the first destinations of graduates from higher education courses provided in higher education institutions. The Scottish Further Education Funding Council collects similar information on graduates from higher education courses provided in further education colleges.

  These collections provide data on employment, classified by both the standard industrial classification (SIC) and the standard occupational classification (SOC). To produce the information requested requires the cross-referencing of these SIC and SOC classifications against subject groups, which are often very broad.

  This can often rely on subjective judgements, of what subjects are associated with what industry and/or occupation. It is the department’s assessment that the analysis required could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Further and Higher Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that all students emerging from colleges and universities are familiar with, and have the skills to feel confident about, operating new information and communication technologies as referred to at point 6.3 in its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive provides guidance to the Scottish further and higher education funding councils on strategic priorities for the further and higher education sectors, including the development of specific student skills.

  The Scottish Executive is making available to the funding councils £15 million over a three-year period to promote information and communication technology (ICT) pervasiveness in the further and higher education sectors and to ensure use of these technologies in the management, research, teaching and learning activities of all institutions. This funding will help to promote a range of developments to improve the ICT learning environment for students throughout the further and higher education sectors.

  The funding councils will commission regular updates from institutions to monitor progress towards achieving the objectives set out in the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Further and Higher Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how Scotland’s graduates compare with others around the world when competing to secure research in information and communication technology related to science and technologies as referred to at point 6.3 of its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally. I have asked the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and Future Skills Scotland to discuss whether reliable data can be collected on this issue.

Further and Higher Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that staff in further and higher education institutions are familiar and comfortable in using and teaching information and communication technologies.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish further and higher education funding councils are responsible for ensuring further and higher education institutions invest appropriately in staff training and development. Both councils have distributed significant funding to institutions for investment in information and communications technology (ICT).

  In further education, specific funding is being allocated for staff development in ICT skills. Examples of how this is being used include the promotion of the European Computer Driving Licence and of developments to support teaching and learning and also for non-teaching staff, to ensure that colleges can make full use of ICT support services such as guidance, careers, library and other student services.

  In higher education, significant project funding has been provided to institutions to promote more effective use of ICT in staff development throughout the sector.

Further and Higher Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for ensuring that young graduates from other parts of the world are encouraged to stay in Scotland after they have graduated as referred to at point 6.12 of its report on the Knowledge Economy Cross Cutting Initiative.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This responsibility is clearly one which is shared between the Executive, other public bodies such as Scottish Enterprise, and employers. The Executive is also working with the UK Government to publicise changes introduced by the Home Office from October 2001 which will make it easier for international students completing degrees in the UK to move from student status to employed status.

Glasgow Harbour

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that there is an adequate public consultation process in respect of the proposed Glasgow Harbour development.

Lewis Macdonald: Scottish ministers are satisfied with the consultation arrangements and guidance available for land use planning and any associated harbour regulations.

Health

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it sees for community pharmacies in achieving its objectives for the NHS.

Hugh Henry: The role which we see community pharmacists fulfilling in the future as key members of the Primary Care team is set out in The Right Medicine: A Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland  which was published on 4 February (Bib. number 18835).

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage healthy eating amongst pregnant mothers.

Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change , pregnancy is a significant life event and this should be reflected in the way that women are cared for and look after themselves during pregnancy, childbirth and after the baby is born. The Scottish Diet Action Plan "Eating for Health" provides the framework to improve diet across all population groups in Scotland, including pregnant women.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many heart transplant operations were carried out at the Scottish Heart Transplant Unit in Glasgow in 2001 and what the target is for carrying out heart transplant operations at the unit in 2002.

Malcolm Chisholm: Six heart transplants have been carried out at the Scottish Heart Transplant Unit in Glasgow since the full service resumed on 3 September 2001. The target for the period 3 September 2001 to 31 March 2002 is 10.

  Under present arrangements, the unit is expected to perform 30 heart transplants in a full year, but there are likely to be variations due to the availability of donor organs.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any action has been taken to help raise awareness of E.coli 0157 and to promote a culture of good health, including providing information to those people who have had close contact with people who have been exposed to the virus, as discussed in its report Task Force on E.coli 0157: Final Report .

Malcolm Chisholm: A response to the report of the task force on E.coli 0157 will be published shortly.

Health

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been made available to health boards to help them prescribe anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Malcolm Chisholm: Health boards’ unified budgets include provision for the cost of prescribed medicines and are set to allow for the introduction of new medicines and the greater use of existing therapies. As these funds form part of their unified budget, health boards have the flexibility to decide locally how to use them. It is for health boards and trusts to agree the amount to be set aside for new medicines or treatments.

Health

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with rheumatoid arthritis are currently being prescribed anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available centrally. Infliximab and Entanercept are available on NHS prescription. However, their use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of rheumatoid arthritis. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals is not held centrally. Centrally collected data relates to items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.

Health

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what national guidelines are available for prescribing anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs to patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Malcolm Chisholm: No national guidelines are available at present on the prescribing anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs to patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The Health Technology Board for Scotland will issue a Comment on the technology appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on Entanercept and Infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis which is expected to be issued in March 2002.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for positions in the Young People’s unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital there currently are, broken down by post.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on vacancies for consultant and staff grade posts is collected at board and trust level only.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people are currently on the waiting list for the Young People’s Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are 88 young people currently on the Young People’s Unit waiting list.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds for young people with mental health problems are currently available, broken down by NHS and health board areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of available staffed beds for child and adolescent psychiatry is shown in the following tables. Table 1 provides numbers by NHS board of treatment and Table 2 provides numbers by NHS trust.

  Table 1

  NHS Average Available staffed beds1 by NHS board area of treatment

  Selected psychiatric specialties

  





Child Psychiatry
Quarter ending 30 September 2001P


Adolescent Psychiatry
Quarter ending 30 September 2001P




Scotland 
  

15 
  

43 
  



Fife 
  

- 
  

10 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

9 
  

14 
  



Highland 
  

2 
  

- 
  



Lothian 
  

- 
  

12 
  



Tayside 
  

4 
  

7 
  



  P Provisional.

  Note:

  1. Includes NHS beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals.

  Table 2

  NHS Average Available staffed beds1 by NHS trust

  Selected psychiatric specialties

  





Child Psychiatry
Quarter ending 30 September 2001P


Adolescent Psychiatry
Quarter ending 30 September 2001P




 All trusts 
  

15 
  

43 
  



Fife Primary Care 
  

- 
  

10 
  



Greater Glasgow Primary Care 
  

- 
  

14 
  



Highland Acute Hospitals 
  

2 
  

- 
  



Lothian Primary Care 
  

- 
  

12 
  



Tayside Primary Care 
  

4 
  

7 
  



Yorkhill (Glasgow) 
  

9 
  

- 
  



  P Provisional.

  Notes:

  1. Includes NHS beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17830 by Susan Deacon on 27 September 2001, how many people are currently waiting for an out-patient appointment at the Scottish National Sleep Centre at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh; how many patients on average are assessed at the centre each month for the provision of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) unit, and how much funding the centre (a) has received in (i) 1999-2000 and (ii) 2000-01 and (b) will receive in 2001-02 from Lothian Health Board.

Malcolm Chisholm: The total number of out-patients waiting for an out-patient appointment at the Scottish National Sleep Centre at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, from all health boards, is approximately 1,000. The number of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) assessments carried out each month, involving overnight studies, is approximately 50. Not all patients whose cases are studied in this way are assessed as suitable for CPAP treatment.

  Funding by NHS Lothian in 2000-01 for the service was £172,000. In 2001-02 this was increased by £109,000, following the review of the service in June 2001. Final details of next year’s funding have not yet been agreed. In addition, the National Sleep Centre receives substantial funding from a number of other NHS boards.

Higher Education

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many universities offer BA courses in childhood studies and how many students applied to each university to undertake this course in each academic year from 1997 to date.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many infection control nurses currently in training will be posted to hospitals in the Greater Glasgow NHS board area after their training is completed.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information required is not available centrally.

Hospitals

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it plans to make available to NHS Greater Glasgow for the modernisation of hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Greater Glasgow will be required to develop Business Cases for the implementation of the modernisation of acute hospital services in Glasgow. The resource implications and proposals for meeting them will form part of each Business Case. Decisions on meeting the resource implications will only be made after a thorough consideration of individual Business Cases.

Hospitals

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many infection control nurses are currently employed by each NHS trust in the Greater Glasgow NHS board area, broken down by hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information required is not available centrally.

  Prior to 30 September 2001, a new occupation code was introduced on the Scottish Standard Payroll System to identify infection control nurses and trusts were asked to record the appropriate staff in this category. It is hoped that this data will be available in April 2002 by trust or health board.

Hospitals

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds the Young People’s Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital has; how many of these are currently available; what criteria are used in allocating the beds, and how the beds are currently allocated, broken down by each parliamentary constituency within the area covered by the unit.

Malcolm Chisholm: As at 28 January 2002, there were 12 beds in the Young People’s Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Of these, nine are currently occupied (five by patients from NHS Lothian’s area, three from NHS Forth Valley and one from NHS Borders). The beds are allocated on the basis of clinical need and priority. Funding for the unit is contributed on the basis of NHS Lothian having access to six beds, and NHS Forth Valley and NHS Borders having access to two beds each. The additional two beds are for the use of all Scottish NHS Boards, and give added flexibility to meet need.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Information Technology Communications and Electronics implementation group last met.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Information Technology, Communications and Electronics implementation group, which is sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills, last met in July 2001.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for theft by housebreaking at Edinburgh sheriff court in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the following table. Data for 2001 are not yet available.

  Persons with a charge proved in Edinburgh sheriff court where the main offence was housebreaking, 1997-2000

  


1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



 306 
  

 241 
  

 202 
  

 264

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for assault to severe injury at Edinburgh sheriff court in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: Assault to severe injury is included under the category of serious assault within the SEJD classification of crimes and offences. The available information is given in the following table. Data for 2001 are not yet available.

  Persons with a charge proved in Edinburgh sheriff court where the main offence was serious assault, 1997-2000

  


1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



102 
  

82 
  

79 
  

84

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the First Minister what assistance the Scottish Executive will provide to local authorities in order to assist in repairing damage caused by the recent severe weather conditions.

Mr Jack McConnell: We will consider triggering the Bellwin scheme if local authorities can establish that they have incurred exceptional costs. We have had no requests to trigger the scheme in relation to the recent gales.

Local Government Finance

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to local authorities of self-financing local authority pay awards was in 2001-02.

Mr Andy Kerr: An allowance for general local authority pay and price inflation was included in the local government settlement allocations for 2001-02, as well as specific provision for teachers, police and fire officers. The actual costs of meeting pay awards will depend on local decisions and the Executive does not collect separate information on this.

Mortgage Repossession

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mortgage repossessions orders were granted in Edinburgh sheriff court in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: The recorded figures for the number of mortgage repossession orders granted in Edinburgh sheriff court since 1997 are shown in the following table:

  


1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



536 
  

633 
  

625 
  

357 
  

356

NHS Expenditure

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the NHS has paid out in ex-gratia payments, compensation or other awards as a result of claims in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Over the last five years, NHSScotland reported the following losses in respect of ex-gratia payments, compensation or other rewards:

  

 

2000-01 
  

1999-2000 
  

1998-99 
  

1997-98 
  

1996-97 
  



Total Value of Payments (£000) 
  

8,849 
  

5,865 
  

6,239 
  

6,707 
  

7,541

NHS Waiting Times

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the National Waiting Times Unit will make recommendations for greater utilisation of resources and capacity in NHS, private and independent hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: The unit has already commenced work on assessing existing capacity in NHSScotland and the limited spare capacity in the independent sector. It will monitor performance and capacity, and make recommendations on an ongoing basis.

Organ Donation

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve public awareness of organ donation.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are working with all the key interests to develop a national publicity campaign aimed at raising awareness of organ donation and transplantation. This will complement the education resource pack on the subject which we announced last week.

Parliamentary Questions

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-21573 and S1W-21574 by Dr. Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002, how it defines "soon".

Dr Elaine Murray: A major funding package of £3.5 million for Scotland's theatre sector over this and the coming two years was announced on 28 January 2002.

Parliamentary Questions

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the word "soon" as used in answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial statements means a period of (a) less than one week, (b) between one week and one month, (c) more than one month, (d) more than six months, (e) more than one year or (f) some other unspecified period of time.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: Interpretation of the term will depend upon the particular context in which it is employed. Where the term is used, it will, as is always the case, be the Executive’s intention to follow up the issue without any avoidable delay. Whenever possible, however, we will aim to provide a specific deadline.

Pre-School Education

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that staffing levels are keeping pace with the expansion of pre-five education.

Cathy Jamieson: The Guidance for Local Authorities issued in June 1991 under The Children Act 1989 sets out the current minimum staff:child ratios in early years settings. From 1 April 2002, the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care will take over responsibility for the regulation and inspection of early years settings including the setting of adult:child ratios.

  In both cases, subject to the required ratios, staffing of pre-school services is a matter for employers, whether local authorities or operators in the private or voluntary sector.

Public Appointments

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Professor Joseph Thomson and Professor Gerard Maher were appointed as Scottish Law Commissioners in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies .

Mr Jim Wallace: The recent reappointments of Professors Maher and Thomson as Scottish Law Commissioners were conducted in accordance with the procedures for appointments to public bodies and after due consultation with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Public Appointments

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, following Lord Gill’s appointment as Lord Justice Clerk, whether the appointment of a new chairman of the Scottish Law Commission will be made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies .

Mr Jim Wallace: The procedure for the imminent appointment of a successor to Lord Gill as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) has been formulated in consultation with the Executive’s Public Appointments Unit and with the approval of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).

Public Appointments

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, following Lord Gill’s appointment as Lord Justice Clerk, whom it is consulting in respect of the appointment of a new chairman of the Scottish Law Commission.

Mr Jim Wallace: The procedure for the imminent appointment of a successor to Lord Gill as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission has been formulated in consultation with the Executive’s Public Appointments Unit and with the approval of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

  In terms of the agreed procedure, the senior judiciary will be consulted before a new Chair is appointed.

Regulation of Care Act 2001

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what planning is in place to implement the provisions of the Regulation of Care Act 2001 in relation to pre-five education.

Malcolm Chisholm: Planning is well in hand to set up the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (The Care Commission) with effect from 1 April. It will regulate all care services, including those in pre-five education. Following consultation we issued a plan to all local authorities in November 2001. This set out how a smooth and trouble free transition should take place. We are about to issue a leaflet to providers of services telling them more about these new arrangements.

Residential Care

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the total amount of residential care costs relate to the cost of personal care in the current year.

Hugh Henry: The information requested is not held centrally.

Roads

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been allocated for improvements to trunk roads during this parliamentary session.

Lewis Macdonald: The allocation for the trunk roads network, including investment in new construction, improvements and routine maintenance, is £774 million between 1999 and 2003. This does not include capital charges and other adjustments made as a result of the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting from April 2001. A more detailed breakdown is shown in the Executive's Annual Expenditure Reports , copies of which are held by the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is currently allocated to the upgrading of the A96 and what measures and further funding are planned to take this matter forward.

Lewis Macdonald: The Motorway and Trunk Road Programme announced in March 2001 includes 10 schemes on the A96, including the proposed bypass for Fochabers and Mosstodloch. The estimated cost is £26 million.

Roads

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alleviate the congestion at the Sheriffhall roundabout on the Edinburgh city bypass for (a) motorists, (b) cyclists and (c) pedestrians.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive currently has no plans for improvement works at Sheriffhall Roundabout. We are, however, assisting Midlothian Council in developing a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians over the A720 at Sheriffhall with an award of £802,000 from the Public Transport Fund.

Roads

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the start date is for the introduction of pedestrian/cyclist priority measures at the Sheriffhall roundabout on the Edinburgh city bypass.

Lewis Macdonald: Project management of the pedestrian/cyclist priority measures at the Sherriffhall roundabout is a matter for Midlothian Council.

  I understand they are not yet in a position to identify a start date or completion date for construction, as a result of on-going issues in relation to land acquisition.

Rural Development

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to revise the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive announced in November 2000 that it would be reviewing the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme and the Woodland Grant Scheme. The review is focusing on changes necessary to deliver priorities identified in the Scottish Forestry Strategy as well as the Scottish Agricultural Strategy and the Rural Development Regulation. A steering group representing a wide range of interests is assisting the Scottish Executive with the review and is currently analysing responses to a public consultation exercise carried out in 2001. The group is due shortly to come forward with recommendations to Scottish ministers.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of schools have school boards; how many members of school boards there are; how many vacancies there are on school boards, and how many elections of school boards were contested in the most recent round of school board elections, all broken down by local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: The biennial survey of school boards, last conducted by the Scottish Executive in May 2000, provides details of the number and percentage of schools with school boards and the number of elections contested. The latest data available for school board elections is therefore for the election which took place between September and December 1999. Data for the most recent elections, which took place in late 2001, is not yet available.

  Table 1 provides details of the number and percentage of primary schools with school boards and the number and percentage of school board elections contested, broken down by local authority area, as at May 2000. Table 2 provides these details for secondary schools and Table 3 provides these details for special schools.

  These figures were published in a press release on 25 October 2000, entitled School Boards in Scottish Schools: May 2000.

  Data on the number of members of school boards and the number of vacancies on school boards is not collected centrally.

  Table 1

  


Education Authority Primary Schools1, May 2000 
  



Number of eligible schools with a school board, and where 
  election was contested 
  



Education Authority 
  

Total number of eligible schools at 31 May 
  2000 
  

Eligible schools with school board at 31 
  May 2000 
  

Eligible schools with school board, consequent 
  to a contested regular election, at 31 May 20002




Number 
  

Percentage of eligible schools 
  

Number 
  

Percentage of eligible schools 
  



Scotland 
  

2,276 
  

1,867 
  

82 
  

212 
  

9 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

58 
  

31 
  

53 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

157 
  

103 
  

66 
  

6 
  

4 
  



Angus 
  

62 
  

35 
  

56 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

86 
  

84 
  

98 
  

10 
  

12 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

19 
  

13 
  

68 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

115 
  

96 
  

83 
  

8 
  

7 
  



Dundee City 
  

41 
  

23 
  

56 
  

1 
  

2 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

47 
  

47 
  

100 
  

8 
  

17 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

37 
  

37 
  

100 
  

6 
  

16 
  



East Lothian 
  

35 
  

32 
  

91 
  

10 
  

29 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

24 
  

24 
  

100 
  

4 
  

17 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

102 
  

96 
  

94 
  

20 
  

20 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

43 
  

40 
  

93 
  

5 
  

12 
  



Falkirk 
  

48 
  

47 
  

98 
  

6 
  

13 
  



Fife 
  

146 
  

110 
  

75 
  

11 
  

8 
  



Glasgow City 
  

203 
  

149 
  

73 
  

14 
  

7 
  



Highland 
  

193 
  

167 
  

87 
  

12 
  

6 
  



Inverclyde 
  

32 
  

32 
  

100 
  

3 
  

9 
  



Midlothian 
  

36 
  

24 
  

67 
  

1 
  

3 
  



Moray 
  

49 
  

35 
  

71 
  

1 
  

2 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

52 
  

52 
  

100 
  

7 
  

13 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

133 
  

111 
  

83 
  

16 
  

12 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

20 
  

17 
  

85 
  

2 
  

10 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

78 
  

56 
  

72 
  

8 
  

10 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

52 
  

52 
  

100 
  

6 
  

12 
  



Scottish Borders3


72 
  

50 
  

69 
  

6 
  

8 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

25 
  

25 
  

100 
  

4 
  

16 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

45 
  

42 
  

93 
  

4 
  

9 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

124 
  

115 
  

93 
  

13 
  

10 
  



Stirling 
  

42 
  

32 
  

76 
  

8 
  

19 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

35 
  

32 
  

91 
  

4 
  

11 
  



West Lothian 
  

65 
  

58 
  

89 
  

7 
  

11 
  



  Notes:

  1. Includes primary departments of secondary schools.

  2. This excludes situations where a board was constituted following an uncontested regular election, a contested or uncontested by-election, the three-month co-option period consequent to a by-election or by other means, such as by parental request, as provided by the Education (Scotland) Act 1988 and Education (Scotland) Act 1996.

  3. Figures shown are as at May 1998. Information not available at May 2000.

  Table 2

  


Education Authority Secondary Schools, May 2000 
  



Number of eligible schools with a school board, and where 
  election was contested 
  



Education Authority 
  

Total number of eligible schools at 31 May 
  2000 
  

Eligible schools with school board at 31 
  May 2000 
  

Eligible schools with school board, consequent 
  to a contested regular election, at 31 May 20001




Number 
  

Percentage of eligible schools 
  

Number 
  

Percentage of eligible schools 
  



Scotland 
  

386 
  

371 
  

96 
  

45 
  

12 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

13 
  

9 
  

69 
  

1 
  

8 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

16 
  

15 
  

94 
  

1 
  

6 
  



Angus 
  

8 
  

8 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

10 
  

10 
  

100 
  

2 
  

20 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

3 
  

3 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

16 
  

16 
  

100 
  

1 
  

6 
  



Dundee City 
  

10 
  

10 
  

100 
  

2 
  

20 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

9 
  

9 
  

100 
  

1 
  

11 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

9 
  

9 
  

100 
  

2 
  

22 
  



East Lothian 
  

6 
  

6 
  

100 
  

1 
  

17 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

7 
  

7 
  

100 
  

1 
  

14 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

23 
  

23 
  

100 
  

4 
  

17 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

13 
  

13 
  

100 
  

3 
  

23 
  



Falkirk 
  

8 
  

8 
  

100 
  

1 
  

13 
  



Fife 
  

19 
  

18 
  

95 
  

5 
  

26 
  



Glasgow City 
  

29 
  

26 
  

90 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Highland 
  

27 
  

27 
  

100 
  

3 
  

11 
  



Inverclyde 
  

8 
  

8 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Midlothian 
  

6 
  

5 
  

83 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Moray 
  

8 
  

6 
  

75 
  

2 
  

25 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

10 
  

10 
  

100 
  

2 
  

20 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

26 
  

24 
  

92 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

5 
  

5 
  

100 
  

1 
  

20 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

10 
  

9 
  

90 
  

2 
  

20 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

14 
  

14 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scottish Borders2


9 
  

9 
  

100 
  

5 
  

56 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

9 
  

9 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

9 
  

9 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

21 
  

20 
  

95 
  

2 
  

10 
  



Stirling 
  

7 
  

6 
  

86 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

7 
  

7 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Lothian 
  

11 
  

11 
  

100 
  

3 
  

27 
  



  Notes:

  1. This excludes situations where a board was constituted following an uncontested regular election, a contested or uncontested by-election, the three-month co-option period consequent to a by-election or by other means, such as by parental request, as provided by the Education (Scotland) Act 1988 and Education (Scotland) Act 1996.

  2. Figures shown are as at May 1998. Information not available at May 2000.

  Table 3

  


Education Authority Special Schools, May 2000 
  



Number of eligible schools with a school board, and where 
  election was contested 
  



Education Authority
Total number of eligible schools at 31 May 2000 
  

Eligible schools with school board at 31 
  May 2000 
  

Eligible schools with school board, consequent 
  to a contested regular election, at 31 May 20001




Number 
  

Percentage of eligible schools 
  

Number 
  

Percentage of eligible schools 
  



Scotland 
  

133 
  

75 
  

56 
  

6 
  

5 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

7 
  

4 
  

57 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

4 
  

1 
  

25 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Angus 
  

0 
  















Argyll & Bute 
  

3 
  

3 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1 
  

1 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dundee City 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

4 
  

4 
  

100 
  

2 
  

50 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

2 
  

2 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Lothian 
  

0 
  















East Renfrewshire 
  

1 
  

1 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

13 
  

8 
  

62 
  

1 
  

8 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

0 
  















Falkirk 
  

7 
  

2 
  

29 
  

1 
  

14 
  



Fife 
  

7 
  

4 
  

57 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Glasgow City 
  

32 
  

16 
  

50 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Highland 
  

3 
  

1 
  

33 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Inverclyde 
  

2 
  

2 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Midlothian 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Moray 
  

0 
  















North Ayrshire 
  

4 
  

4 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

12 
  

5 
  

42 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

2 
  

1 
  

50 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

3 
  

3 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

0 
  















Shetland Islands 
  

1 
  

1 
  

100 
  

1 
  

100 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

4 
  

4 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

9 
  

4 
  

44 
  

1 
  

11 
  



Stirling 
  

1 
  

1 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

1 
  

1 
  

100 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Lothian 
  

4 
  

2 
  

50 
  

0 
  

0 
  



  Note:

  1. This excludes situations where a board was constituted following an uncontested regular election, a contested or uncontested by-election, the three-month co-option period consequent to a by-election or by other means, such as by parental request, as provided by the Education (Scotland) Act 1988 and Education (Scotland) Act 1996.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that school board members are aware of the devolved budget granted to their school.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not currently take any specific action in relation to school boards and devolved school budgets, however this is an issue which is being examined as part of current work considering support for school boards in general.

Student Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many disabled students currently studying with the Open University have applied to the Disabled Students’ Allowance Scheme.

Ms Wendy Alexander: To date, 62 applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance from students studying through the Open University have been received.

Student Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Disabled Students’ Allowance Scheme were fully processed before students currently studying with the Open University who made applications started their courses.

Ms Wendy Alexander: To date, 31 applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance from students studying through the Open University have been fully processed prior to the start of their courses.

Student Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any delays in processing applications to the Disabled Students’ Allowance Scheme since academic year 1999-2000 and what the reasons for any such delay were.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Since academic year 1999-2000, there have not been any delays in processing applications for the Disabled Students’ Allowance. The target of 21 days for processing fully completed applications is being met and in many cases exceeded. In certain cases, the process of putting equipment in place can take longer if a student needs to be assessed for technology needs by one of the National Federation of Access Centres.

Student Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students studying with or planning to study with the Open University and who applied to the Disabled Students’ Allowance Scheme subsequently withdrew from or deferred their course since academic year 1999-2000.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) was extended to distance-learning students for the first time in academic year 2001-02. Students have a responsibility to advise the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) of any change in circumstances that might affect their support entitlement. SAAS is not aware of any DSA students who have withdrawn from or deferred their course in academic year 2001-02.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21397 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on the number of students attending university or further education colleges who applied for a student loan, either through the Awards Agency for Scotland or the Students Loans Company Ltd, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost and whether the information could be provided were individual parliamentary questions on separate aspects of the subject lodged.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The answer given to question S1W-21397 set out the background to the various data sets collected by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Student Loans Company.

  To answer the question on the number of loans applied for would require a complete crosscheck of the two organisation's records for the past five years, which could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.

  The previous answer provided the information sought on numbers of loans made and the average amount paid.

  There are a variety of measures of the number of Scottish students, including or excluding post graduates, part-time students, Scottish domiciled students studying in Scotland or elsewhere, non-Scottish domiciled students studying in Scotland and so on. In the absence of a specific definition in the question, percentage figures were not provided.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Student Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21398 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 18 January 2002, why information on the average period students spend in default on their student loans and the average charge applicable to these defaults is not available or could only be obtained at disproportionate cost and whether it will, from now, collate this information centrally, detailing the reasons behind its decision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Information on individual student loan accounts is held by the Student Loans Company. The analysis requested could only be obtained by examining the loan accounts of each individual borrower who had been in default. The company advises that such an exercise could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.

  We have no plans to collate this information centrally, as this would require the Executive to hold duplicate records to those of the Student Loans Company.

  Officials from the department would be happy to meet with you to discuss data collection and the information that is available.

Swimming Pools

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the planned closures of swimming pools in Jedburgh, Eyemouth and Selkirk following recently announced cuts by Scottish Borders Council, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and what measures it will take to prevent these closures.

Mr Andy Kerr: It is entirely a matter for each local authority to establish its expenditure priorities within the budget available to it. It would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in the individual spending decisions of a council.

Teachers

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the structure of, and system of election for, the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: The General Teaching Council for Scotland is an Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body the structure of which was comprehensively reviewed in 1999. There are currently no plans for further review.

  The scheme to elect members of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) was approved by ministers in advance of the 2001 election of teachers to the council. The next election of the GTCS will be in 2005 and ministers will approve any changes to the election scheme at that time.

Water

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on its plans for protecting the water environment.

Allan Wilson: I am publishing today a consultation paper: The Future for Scotland’s Waters: Proposals for Legislation . I am placing copies in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. I am also placing an analysis of the responses to our first consultation paper, Rivers, Lochs, Coasts: The Future for Scotland’s Waters (Bib. number 14576), published in June last year, on the Scottish Executive website and in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  The consultation paper makes proposals for the water environment provisions of the Water Environment and Water Services Bill and lays the foundation for a modernised approach to protecting and enhancing Scotland’s waters. The need to involve, take account of and balance all interests will be a cornerstone of this new approach. We need to hear the views of all those with an interest if we are to get the bill right for Scotland. We started the debate when we published Rivers, Lochs, Coasts. This paper is another significant step along the road to the bill.

Water Authority

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for traffic on the A81 from Milngavie to Strathblane of West of Scotland Water Authority’s plan to build a new treatment plant at its Milngavie reservoir.

Lewis Macdonald: The A81 is a local road and, as such, the responsibility of East Dunbartonshire and Stirling Councils as the local roads authorities for the sections of the road that lie within their areas. This is therefore a matter for the councils to address.

Young People

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the planned withdrawal of core funding for the Gala Youth Project, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and, in light of the number of young people in difficulty supported by the project, the support for the project of educationalists and the police and the possible closure of the project on 31 March 2002, what action it will take on the matter.

Cathy Jamieson: It is for each council to establish its expenditure priorities within unhypothecated resources available to it. It would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in such circumstances.

  However, I am aware that Gala Youth Project was part of the bid put forward by Scottish Borders for resources allocated to drugs projects under the Changing Children's Services Fund. We understand that the full funding allocated by the Executive for the first year has been passed on to the Gala Youth Project. Officials will be seeking clarification from the council on the use of the resources to be allocated in years two and three of the project.